According to Airways Magazine, Airbus
first began working on the A340
in the 1970s. At the time, the European manufacturer needed to make a plane that could compete with Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. The A340 was advertised as a replacement for the Boeing 707-300 and the Douglas DC-8.
The first aircraft was manufactured in 1982 and originally had two variants, the -200 and -300. Two more variants, the -500 and -600, were made in the coming years. According to Airbus, the different variants of the A340 could accommodate 250 to 475 passengers and had extended operating ranges of up to 9,000 nautical miles.
Photo: Gregor Schlaeger | Lufthansa
The manufacturer highlights that because it was a quad-engine aircraft, it could fly longer over-water routes without needing additional certification. Extended-Range Twin-Engine Operation Performance Standards (ETOPS) certification was needed on other twin-engine planes.
The A340s featured fly-by-wire controls and modern cockpits. The fuselage of the A340s was the same basic one for the A330, which meant that the planes shared similar structures, components, and systems. Because of the similarity, pilots on the A330s could transfer to the A340 with just three days of training.
When the A340 was developed, Airbus claimed it had one of the quietest cabins in the sky. The quad-jet was designed for long—and ultra-long-haul flights of up to 18 hours. During its production history, which ended in 2012, Airbus received orders for 380 A340s.
Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis | Shutterstock
Lufthansa
and Air France
were the launch customers for the -200 and -300 variants, respectively. Lufthansa is one of the few airlines that still operates its A340 fleet today, even sending them on some flights to the US. SWISS, Edelweiss, and South African Airways also continue to operate the quadjet.
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
was the first North American airline to order the A340. In March 1987, the airline placed an order for both the A340 and A330. The deal included 20 firm orders for the quadjet and ten options for the A330.
Photo: Bjoern Wylezich | Shutterstock
Then-president of Airbus, Jean Pierson, said,
”We are extremely pleased that a highly demanding airline such as Northwest is a launch customer for the A340, and that it will have the distinction of being the first in North America to operate this aircraft.”
According to the New York Times, the order was worth at least $2.5 billion at the time. When it was placed, Northwest had not revealed its engine choice for the plane, but that quickly changed.
Within a few months of placing the order, IAE SuperFan, which was the engine manufacturer that was to design the engines Northwest wanted, pulled out of the A340 project. The alternative option that Airbus chose was the CFM56, which was a less-powerful engine and was used on the 737-300. Because IAE SuperFan pulled out of the deal, Northwest placed its order on hold and hoped that another engine option would be available.
Five years after placing its order, Northwest canceled it. According to Northwest Airlines History, this was due to the Gulf War. The A340 order was canceled on December 7, 1992, and Northwest had to do some restructuring because of the investment made into preparations for the A340.
Continental Airlines
In November 1989, the LA Times reported that Texas Air Corp, Continental Airlines’ parent company, had placed an order with Airbus. The order included 40 Airbus A330s and A340s worth about $4.5 billion. Frank Lorenzo, who was chair of Texas Air at the time, said that the planes would replace older aircraft and expand the airline’s network.
Though the order was placed in 1989, delivery of the first aircraft was not expected until 1993. At the time of the purchase, Lorenzo stated that the type of engine that would power the planes had not been decided. Speaking on the deal, Lorenzo said,
“These aircraft place us in a strong position to capitalize on the new and exciting opportunities we have for growth in both the Pacific and Europe. And in particular as a result of the recently signed US-Japan bilateral agreement.”
The order for 40 planes was the largest order that Texas Air had placed for Continental, financially speaking. Earlier that year, Texas Air had signed an order with 
Boeing
for up to 100 Boeing 737-300s worth about $2.8 billion. Continental never took any of the A340s it had ordered.
According to some online forums, the aircraft order was canceled because the airline entered bankruptcy. Airlines for America has a record that shows Continental filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 1990. A 1990 report from the New York Times confirms this, citing the Gulf War as a major issue. The NYT wrote,
“Since Iraq invaded Kuwait in early August, the price of jet fuel has roughly doubled to about $1 a gallon. The increase is greater than the rise in oil prices largely because much of the refining capacity was in Kuwait.”
At the time, the airline said that in a four-month period, it spent an extra $230 million on fuel. Executives had planned to file for bankruptcy earlier in the year, but that board tried to intervene by selling routes and other assets.
Related
The Airbus A340-300: Who Still Flies The Quadjet?
There are relatively few A340-300 operators left, but they are spread all over the world.
American Airlines agreed to purchase the Seattle-Tokyo route from Continental for $150 million. Approval was needed from the Department of Transportation
(DOT) and Japanese governments, but it was expected given the airline’s financial issues. Continental had been in negotiations with Delta to sell its Pacific routes to Delta Air Lines, but Delta pulled out of negotiations.